Introducing the Newest Latvala

Oliver!

Oklahoma Trip

Last week Chris had to work in Oklahoma, so Gemma and I tagged along!  We visited Grandpa in Tulsa and went to the fair and pumpkin patch.  Then we spent the week with Grandma Connie, where we got to see Aunt Meg and some of our cousins too!

Battleship North Carolia

During our trip to Wilmington, NC we visited the Battleship North Carolina.  Chris and I are history geeks, and hope to instill the same love into Gemma.  This ship was great!  We have previously toured the USS Yorktown (a WWII air craft carrier) in Charleston, and this battleship was so much cooler...of course because it had guns...really big guns, and a lot of them!

This is when Gemma called it "creepy."

From the bow you could see downtown Wilmington.

Best Friends

Our best friends are Claire and Wyatt!  We have so much fun with them!  We've gone to the zoo, children's museum, an Astros baseball game, and have had many play dates this summer!  Chris and I are also good friends with their parents Jenny and Wes Geautreax.  We go waaayy back...all the way to Lafayette!  They are moving back next year, and we will be super sad when they do!  We will just have to hang out with them as much as possible from now until then!  And we will have to plan some visits to Cajun Country...maybe during Mardi Gras!  

Trip to Houston Zoo

Fourth of July Fireworks

Digging in My Moms Barn

During a visit to my moms in Oklahoma in August I was pilfering through her storage barn behind her house.  Among the many treasures from my childhood (cabbage patch kids, Care Bears, just to name a few) an old singer sewing machine was buried.  My great-aunt in-law had told my mom that it belonged to my great-grandma Lardi when she gave it to my mom.  It had been in her barn for who know how long, and had been painted with brown barn paint.  The iron was so rusted out I didn't think I'd ever get it all removed.  With the help of Annie Sloans Chaulk Paint and a bottle of Naval Jelly the sewing machine has been transformed and is now a beautiful addition to my entryway!